Keith Morris, one of the pioneers of the Los Angeles hardcore punk scene as lead singer with the first lineup of Black Flag and founder of the Circle Jerks, returned to his roots in fast, loud, confrontational music and launched an unexpected comeback with the group OFF! OFF!'s story began when Keith Morris and guitarist Greg Hetson began mapping out plans to make a new Circle Jerks album, and Dimitri Coats of the Burning Brides was brought in to produce the sessions. Neither Morris nor Coats were happy with the material that had been proposed for the album, and the two began writing a fresh batch of songs. Hetson didn't see eye to eye with Coats as producer, so Morris and Coats decided to use their songs for a project of their own, and formed OFF! as a vehicle for their material. With Morris on vocals on Coats on guitar, the new group's lineup became complete when Steven McDonald (of Redd Kross) agreed to play bass and Mario Rubalcaba (ex-Hot Snakes and Rocket from the Crypt) signed on as drummer. OFF! made their live debut at the 2010 South by Southwest Music Conference in Austin, Texas, and received enthusiastic reviews for their urgent, energetic songs, which more than one reporter compared to early Black Flag. The band made their recording debut in 2010 with a four-song 7" vinyl EP; three more followed, which were collected in a box set, The First Four EPs, by Vice Records, who also released the material on CD in 2011. Soon after, the band rushed back to the studio to make a new self-titled full-length, which appeared in May 2012. The group maintained a busy touring schedule (occasionally taking time off so Morris could tour with with his other band, a handful of Black Flag alumni performing as FLAG), but in 2013 they began work on their second album. Recorded on an 8-track analog reel-to-reel setup in their practice space, Wasted Years was released in April 2014. ~ Mark Deming